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Hurdle lauds team after extra-innings win

7/12/14: Andrew McCutchen hits a game-tying shot in the 9th and then launches a go-ahead home run in 11th to lead the Pirates to victory

By Tom Singer
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MLB.com |

CINCINNATI -- The typical baseball advisory -- can't relish the highs or rue the lows, because the next game is never far off -- has never been more applicable.

A few hours after leaving Great American Ball Park with their most uplifting win of the season, the Pirates were back to do it again.

However, the short span from last to first pitch couldn't dull the glow of the 6-5 win in 11 innings -- or five innings after the Reds had bulldozed Charlie Morton's 4-0 lead into a 5-4 deficit.

"You have no idea what goes on inside of me," said manager Clint Hurdle, who appeared calm in his postgame discussion of the events. "Exciting game. Yeah, a lot of cool stuff went on [Saturday] night that you love to watch.

"We just like to play ball. I'm proud of this team for developing into a team that just likes to play ball, every day, regardless of what happened to us the day before. Or regardless of how many times we're asked, 'How are you going to react?'"

Andrew McCutchen's reaction was to hit a game-tying homer in the ninth, and a game-winning homer in the 11th.

"It's what elite players are capable of doing," Hurdle said. "All those things you draw up when you're six in your backyard -- you want to do this or that -- elite players go do it on this stage, in front of a packed house, against a good ballclub. He beats number ones and number twos, he beats late-inning relievers."

Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog Change for a Nickel. He can also be found on Twitter @Tom_Singer. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.